Colorado Rapids Stun MLS with Dramatic 3-2 Comeback vs LA Galaxy – Highlights, Player Ratings & What’s Next

With Memorial Day weekend kicking off a pivotal stretch of the 2025 MLS calendar, the Colorado Rapids are riding a wave of momentum that has vaulted them back into the Western Conference playoff picture. Saturday night’s home tilt against expansion contender St. Louis CITY SC offers a chance to extend a two-match unbeaten run and solidify Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as a fortress. Strong home form fuels playoff push The Rapids have claimed 10 of their last 12 points in Commerce City, highlighted by last weekend’s 2-0 Rocky Mountain Cup victory over Real Salt Lake and a shut-out draw with Vancouver earlier in May. Interim starter Nico Hansen earned his second straight nod in goal after recording that clean sheet, while Designated Player Đorđe Mihailović continues to power the attack with six goals and three assists through 12 league appearances. First starts for Bassett & Ku-DiPietro Saturday’s lineup features homegrown midfielder Sam Bassett and USMNT prospect Ted Ku-DiPietro making their first starts in burgundy. Bassett, who debuted on April 5, provides box-to-box energy, while Ku-DiPietro adds vertical thrust from the wing. Their integration reflects head coach Chris Armas’s commitment to youth development, a pillar of the club’s 30th-anniversary campaign. Steffen sidelined, Hansen steps up U.S. international Zack Steffen remains out with a lower-leg knock, leaving Hansen between the sticks for the second straight match. The veteran’s command of his box and distribution will be critical against a St. Louis side that ranks among the league leaders in high-press turnovers. Key tactical storylines • Breaking the press: Expect Rapids pivots Josh Atencio and Oliver Larraz to drop deep, drawing CITY SC forward before releasing Mihailović into half-spaces. • Set-piece edge: Center-back Andreas Maxsø, who leads the squad in clearances, is also a major aerial threat on attacking corners—an area where St. Louis has conceded four times this year. • Transition defense: Rapids fullbacks Reggie Cannon and Ian Murphy will need disciplined recovery runs to deny CITY SC winger Celio Pompeu the channels he thrives in. Players to watch • Đorđe Mihailović – Ninth goal contribution of the season last week; his drifting runs unsettle back lines. • Darren Yapi – The 19-year-old striker’s hold-up play allows midfield runners to arrive late; he has two assists in his last three appearances. • Nico Hansen – Another clean sheet would strengthen the keeper’s claim for minutes once Steffen returns. What a win would mean Three points would push Colorado above the coveted top-seven line and keep pace with conference heavyweights LAFC and Seattle ahead of a daunting two-match road trip (May 31 at LAFC, June 7 at Austin). How to follow Kick-off: Saturday, May 24, 7:30 p.m. MT Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV Listen: Altitude Sports Radio Live updates: @ColoradoRapids on X and the official Rapids App Fan buzz & community focus The club is also hosting Mental Health Awareness Night, featuring pre-game resource booths and limited-edition green warm-up tops auctioned for local nonprofits. Expect a sell-out crowd bolstered by youth teams in town for the Rocky Mountain Spring Championship, amplifying the already formidable altitude advantage. Bottom line The Rapids enter the holiday weekend with confidence, new faces in the XI, and tangible stakes in the standings. If Mihailović keeps cooking and Hansen holds firm, Colorado could emerge as one of May’s biggest climbers—and give supporters another reason to believe a return to postseason soccer is on the horizon.